I Pray in Jesus’ Name!

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 

Happy New Year! I hope this proves to be your best year yet, full of joy and hope and all the blessings that make this life worth living. Our God is good, and I can’t wait to see what He will do in 2024. But instead of a New Year’s message today, I decided to share another Christmas story with you—a message of hope and encouragement. You see, Jesus is the ultimate Christmas gift. The promise of eternal life. And over the years he has filled me with joy that I never believed I would find. I am forever grateful to Jesus, and for his birth so long ago. So, when someone asks me to pray they need to be okay with hearing his name because I pray in Jesus’ name every time . . .

A Surprise at the Holiday Breakfast

I had never cared much for the Holiday Breakfast. It was a mandatory affair at the college where I worked, an event that occurred every December just before the semester break. To me, it was always kind of stuffy. Boring. You know, stand around and nibble at food and try to make small talk with about a hundred other people, some of whom you hardly know. But the holiday breakfast of 2001 was anything but boring. In fact, it included a fight-or-flight experience that you might say changed my life.

“Can I have your attention?” The Dean of Health Sciences said, tapping her microphone. “Thank you all for coming this morning. It’s time to eat!”

Good news, I thought. Let’s eat and get out of here.

“Now in a moment,” the dean continued, “we’ll line up and get some of this wonderful food you have all prepared, but first, I think we should pray. Now, I hear Pat says a pretty good prayer.” She smiled and looked my way.

I felt my eyebrows rise. “Who?” I said. “Me?”

“Mm-hmm,” she said, extending the microphone my way. “Would you mind saying the blessing for us?”

Not New to Prayer

All eyes turned my way. I could feel my face flush. I shrugged and tried to act cool, but I could feel my pulse increasing. “Sure,” I said. “Um, I’d be happy to.”

I mean, I wasn’t exactly new to prayer. Over the years I had prayed many times in group settings like church and Bible studies, but never at work with my colleagues, and rarely into a microphone. I could feel my hands shaking as I walked over and accepted the mic. Of course, I felt honored, but I also felt a bit confused. Who had told the dean that I said a “good prayer”? And if I prayed the way I usually do, using his name, would people be offended? I mean, I’m a Christian, and I’m not ashamed of that, but at work, it’s usually considered politically correct to keep quiet about your faith and to keep things inoffensive. So, what was I to do? I decided to be myself and just let go. After all, I figured, she asked me.

Let Us Pray

After glancing around the room, I raised the microphone and said, “Let us pray.” I began by thanking God for America, and that in the wake of the tragedy of 9/11, we still had our families, our homes, and our lives. I thanked Him for our jobs, for freedom, and for the friends and peace we shared throughout the year. I thanked him for the food we were about to eat, and for all the blessings in each of our lives. And then, I said, so naturally the words just flowed right from my mouth, “Thank you most of all for Christmas, the greatest gift of all. That two thousand years ago a child was born. Our Savior. Christ the Lord.” I concluded the prayer, “In Jesus’ name,” and then I closed with a hearty, “Amen.”

When I opened my eyes, I realized I had a problem. No one moved. Not a soul. You could have heard that proverbial pin drop in the room. I saw confusion on many faces, and anger on many others. Most of the people looked stunned, and many appeared to be offended.

Uh oh, I thought . . . now you’ve done it.

I felt like running away. Instead, I just stood there waiting for someone to say something. But then the strangest thing happened. A timid smile appeared on someone’s face. And then on another. And then slowly, meekly, one person began to clap. Soon others joined in, and after a moment half of the room seemed to be caught up in celebration . . . people smiling, people cheering, people shouting, “Amen!”

The other half of the room looked on, frowning in disapproval.

My Turn to Feel Stunned

Now it was my turn to feel stunned. Several people approached me and patted me on the back like I had just done something remarkable. “Thank you,” one person whispered, as if not to be overheard. “Oh, thank you!” another exclaimed. “That was so great!” Then a co-worker from my department walked up to me shaking his head. “Man,” he said. “Are you nuts?”

“Why?” I said. “She asked me to pray.”

“Yeah, but you prayed in Jesus’ name. Don’t you realize the dean is a Jew?”

I thought about that for a moment and realized there only one way to answer. “Well,” I said. “Wasn’t Jesus a Jew?”

“Yep, you’re right,” he said, with a smirk. “You’re right. But good luck getting out of this one.”

*         *         *

I left the gathering that morning feeling a little concerned about my position at the college, but I also felt overwhelmingly proud to be labeled a Christian. I had prayed with integrity and boldness and had used his name well.

Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ

I was never again asked to say the blessing at the Holiday Breakfast; I’m afraid I offended too many people. But it’s okay because I learned a valuable lesson: Some people will always be offended by His name; others will be filled with joy. When you say the word, Jesus, you draw a line in the sand and people are forced to decide. It’s just the way it is. Jesus is the most powerful name in the universe; it’s a name that demands a decision—either you follow him, or you don’t.

So, this year as you get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, be sure to share his name with others. Share the name, JESUS. And if you feel anxiety or fear creeping in, remember the words of encouragement that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome almost two thousand years ago:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

Yes, I always pray in Jesus’ name. He is my Lord, my God, and my Savior, and I am NOT ashamed.

Credits:  I would like to acknowledge the following people for the use of their images in this article:  Image of Bible by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay, Image of crosses courtesy of Gerd Altmann from Pixabay, Image of American flag by Circe Denyer from Pixabay